Tainted Blood
by Count D'Ainiac
Summary: A mystery man attacks Reno, and it becomes clear that all is not right in the world. A new company seeks to rise, and AVALANCHE must stop it. But does this company know the details about who it employs? No set pairings yet. You can ask for one...
1. Mystery man

Around the city of Edge, that outburst of settlement that formed around the ruins of Midgar (the ruins only now being dealt with, now everyone had taken some time to recover their wits after a 'interesting' three years), the land was mainly flat for a good distance, until you reached the coast past Kalm on one side, and some higher lands to the South and West.

These higher lands were usually deserted, apart from the occasional monster or animal that could call this rather barren habitat its home. The few resources there was the reason for the lack of a city, or any houses until you reached the chocobo ranch. The high lands were also a steep climb when starting from Edge level. You could say it's very rare that humans are seen there.

This night was different. A figure stood silhouetted against the moon, which was briefly peering through a gap in the thick clouds. A lone traveller, on his way out to capture some chocobos, thought he saw the figure standing on the cliffs overlooking Edge. Though he dismissed it as a trick of the darkness when the clouds once again covered the moon, and the shape disappeared. The traveller continued on his way, forgetting easily. What he had seen though had not been false. A lone figure stood on the outcrop, clothes blowing slightly in the wind. When the moon peered once more through the clouds, silvery moonlight illuminated a sharp blue suit.

* * *

It was late, and Denzel and Marlene were both tucked into bed and sleeping soundly upstairs. Tifa was doing some late cleaning before retiring for the night, leaving Cloud alone in the living room. He was tired after coming back from a particularly long delivery to Costa Del Sol (he'd had to catch one of the ferries over there, never as enjoyable as being able to ride Fenrir the whole way), and was stretched out on the couch, staring into space. He had, on his way long journey that had spanned the whole of the Eastern Continent and the narrow sea, realised something important. His life was going nowhere.

He had saved the world twice! Twice! He was a world respected hero who was recognised now almost everywhere he went. Yet he was no better than a delivery boy, running errands for whoever wanted his services. True, he was a very good delivery boy, but that was like saying someone was a very good thief – a very undesirable skillset, from a respectful point of view. It was the actual profession you were judged on, not your proficiency.

At first, his desire to be alone with his thoughts and his love of the open road had made the time with himself on his deliveries riding Fenrir look desirable, especially in those early years. But he was getting older now, and mellowing, if only slightly. Tifa had told him he was getting a lot easier to be around, which he didn't _quite _know how to take, as a compliment or a derogatory comment on his previous behaviour. But he was certainly less 'mopey' than he used to be, and less racked by self-loathing and doubt. Instead, his main problem was that he was bored.

He could have gone into politics: he could probably become the mayor of Edge or got a high ranking position in the WRO. Even if it was just providing the public figure while Reeve advised him. He had no love for politics though, he didn't like the pressure, and couldn't imagine himself chit chatting with important politicians, dignitaries and the like. It wasn't long ago that these same people were willingly under the far reaching boot of the Shinra Corporation. Hell, they were the ones who decried the actions of AVALANCHE the most back in the day. Tifa repeatedly said his reluctance was silly. After all, he had saved the world. But it was a different kind of pressure as a politician, always in the public eye. Cloud wasn't sure how much he wanted that. At least his current occupation kept him out of the spotlight.

It sounded weird to Cloud that he'd even be considering it, but he wished that something would happen. That a spark of adventure would charge into his life…

It was at that moment that there was a knock at the door. A very urgent knock. Cloud afforded himself a small smile as he raised himself from slouching and bounded, almost eagerly, towards the door. When he opened it, he noticed at first that it was raining. Hard. This had obviously resulted in a sopping wet Vincent Valentine, who looked tired, wet and generally bedraggled. However, Vincent, however strange the man was, was not the thing that shocked him the most when he opened the door.

Vincent was holding a bleeding and unconscious figure in his arms. A figure with a shock of bright red hair and goggles across his forehead. The recognizable twin scars stood out on his cheeks, but now…they were joined by other cuts, which looked fresh. Bruises were blossoming where Cloud could see the man's skin. There was also one huge slash across his stomach, the white shirt around it stained crimson with blood, which looked deep. Reno of the Turks looked in an awful state.

Vincent stumbled over the doorstep and into the house, gasping slightly. Cloud jumped out of his way, not sure what to do. The rain had been hard, and both men were soaked. Vincent looked not much worse for it, but who knows how it could have added to Reno's injuries. Vincent dropped Reno on the couch, and the Turk groaned weakly. Vincent took time to catch his breath, before glancing at the confused Cloud.

"I suppose you're wondering what happened…" The ex-Turk collapsed backwards onto a chair, still breathing hard. It seemed he had gotten here fast.

"Where did you find him?" Cloud looked to Vincent questioningly, but Vincent's eyes were still fixed on Reno.

"I'll answer your questions later Cloud. There are more…pressing matters," he leaned his head towards the wounded Turk on the couch, "perhaps we should call Tifa, and tell her to bring some cure materia. I am unfortunately lacking." Cloud nodded, and gave a shout to his fiancé. She immediately appeared in the room, probably curious about what the commotion had been about. At first her gaze met Cloud's with a puzzled expression, but her eyes then fell on the almost broken Reno. She put her hand over her mouth, stifling a shriek.

"What happened?"

"Tifa," Cloud spoke calmly despite the situation. His years of experience allowed him to do that much. "Go upstairs and fetch a full cure materia. Hurry!" The martial artist nodded, not stopping for any more questions. Cloud swivelled back to Vincent, who seemed lost in thought.

"Any reason why you didn't take him to the nearest hospital?"

Vincent looked up, and levelled his gaze, till his eyes were on Cloud. "Because, Cloud, I didn't find him lying like this. He was still being attacked when I got there."

* * *

_Vincent swept along the cliff tops, covering himself in his cloak to protect himself from the driving rain. It didn't seem to be showing any signs of easing off. Looking down to the ground below, it appeared as if everything was fine, if drenched. Why anything out of the ordinary should be happening here was absurd._

_He hated Reeve._

_Why would the man need him to watch the area? He understood monsters, but Reeve should have known the monsters around this area were weak, and could be easily dealt with by WRO soldiers. He wasn't needed._

_But then, what else would he be doing? Life passed slowly for him now. He mostly did odd jobs for the WRO, but did not much else except train. For what, he didn't know. After Chaos had left, which was in no doubt a good thing, his strength had definitely decreased. He was still superhuman, but not as powerful as he once was. And you never knew…_

_Suddenly, he heard a scuffling from down below the cliffs, and a cry of pain. Vincent, instead of feeling shock as a normal person would, let his own peculiar interest take over, and knelt downwards, in one motion concealing himself with his cloak and getting a better view of the valley below. _

_In the near distance he spotted a jeep, abandoned in the rain. However, another noise made him adjust his position. Now, he looked down just in time, and his eyes widened as he saw Reno, the Turk, hit the cliff wall beneath him hard. He watched as the redheaded man slumped down against the rock, his movements minimal. Vincent quickly adjusted his gaze to where Reno had been launched from. And he was unpleasantly surprised._

_A young man, who looked no older than 21, stood there, a grin on his classically handsome face. He had short, blonde hair, which was flicked to the left at the front. The man's eyes were also visible, glowing slightly through the rain and the gloom. Mako eyes, he thought, similar to Cloud's…or Sephiroths. They were a similar shade of green…It was his attire though that caused the most amount of surprise in Vincent._

_A crisp blue suit, with a white shirt and neat blue tie. That was Turk clothing. Vincent frowned, and jumped down from the ridge, landing lightly even in his metal boots. He gave a quick look to Reno, who was staggering to his feet. What was going on? He turned to look back at the mystery man…but he had vanished. Vincent felt something that could almost be approximated as shock. He hadn't heard movement at all…_

_Pain shot through his back as he was propelled forwards by a sharp blow to the back. Vincent twisted in mid-air, and landed on his feet, skidding on the wet grass. The man was there, the grin increased in length, his eyes twinkling with joy. This was definitely not right. Vincent drew Cerberus from his cloak, and fired once, the triple barrel aiming in the direction of the man's head. The gun roared, and Vincent turned back to Reno, intending to check up on the Turk's health. But what he didn't expect was to hear a mocking voice from behind me._

"_Ah would expect a Turk legend to be quicker on the draw than that…" It was odd voice, a type of haughty drawl that stretched out the vowels. Vincent had thought he'd heard that accent before, but he couldn't place it. There was something else about the voice too, a sinister undertone that Vincent couldn't miss. It definitely rang bells of recognition in his head. Something inside him, a natural impulse, made him fear to turn round and face it. But turn he did. The man stood there, his head slightly to one side where he had obviously dodged the bullets with relative ease. Vincent turned paler than he already was. He had dodged the bullets simply by moving his head… steeling his resolve, Vincent found himself charging the man. He stopped though, when he saw the man make a move. A hand flicked inside that blue suit, and withdrew a short, slightly curved sword. It looked wickedly sharp, and the rain bouncing off it made a sound like drums. The grin of the man finally disappeared, replaced by an almost vacant expression. Vincent too looked stoic, and they stood still for a few seconds, face to face. Vincent was surprised to hear a noise from behind him, but dared not take his eyes of the enemy._

"_Looks like it'll be two on one. I'd advise running, yo," a familiar voice rasped._

_Reno stepped beside him, grim determination on his face, nightstick ready in one hand. He looked to Vincent, and it was clear that the Turk was deeply troubled, not to mention not at 100%. What was plaguing the Turk both mentally and physically, however, he had no time to find out, as the man lunged, sword outstretched. His speed was incredible, and the two men struggled to dodge his lightning thrusts and slashes. Reno only barely managed to get his nightstick in the way of a slash aimed at his neck, which caused water to fly in all directions, such was the force. The man flipped back, and pushed off from the ground, sword held over his chest and left outstretched. He caught Vincent with a left hook, the power of it scarcely believable as it sent Vincent spiralling backwards. He landed heavily on the ground, and lay still for a second, the rain washing over him as he looked up at the night clouds. He had to really make an effort to push himself up. This was the first time he'd really fought without Chaos inside him. Was he really that much weaker?_

_Once up, and with Cerberus at the ready again, Vincent rejoined the fray. Reno was engaging the man gamely, blocking a multitude of heavy blows. Vincent fired Cerberus again. The speed of his recovery had obviously surprised the stranger, who reeled round at the sound, before jumping away from the bullets. Fortunately for Vincent, the shot wasn't wasted, as the man was unable to dodge an electrifying blow from Reno's mag-rod. In the rain, the weapon was even more effective, the water conducting the sparks to the degree that a small, charged explosion went off, sending Reno staggering back and even causing Vincent to shield his eyes._

_He swivelled back to the action just to see the man slash Reno across the stomach, blood flying from the red-haired man, a look of surprise on Reno's face that would have been amusing if not for the circumstances. Vincent was shocked. Apart from the strangers blue suit being charred in places, the stranger seemed fine. The blonde man's face seemed to light up with glee at his success, and he seemed to forget about his other adversary. Vincent fired. The mystery man was not quick enough to dodge at all this time, and although he heard the shot, could not stop one of the bullets entering his shoulder. He gave a cry of surprise as his arm slumped, now almost useless. He turned quickly to Vincent, anger flowing from him. Vincent almost felt the rage emanating from the man. Energy seemed to flow out from him. But then, everything quietened, and he became a normal looking man once more, with hair plastered onto his head by the heavy rain. He smiled at Vincent, gave a mock bow, and then disappeared, running swiftly into the darkness. A tactical retreat, Vincent guessed. He would have to hope that bullet caused lasting damage._

_Vincent merely knelt there for a couple of seconds, regaining his breath, before brushing his wet hair from his eyes. He jogged over to the fallen Reno, and examined the cut. It was deep, and bleeding, but not fatal. He looked to his face, and saw that Reno was fighting his body's shutdown into unconsciousness._

"_Vincent…I need to tell you..." Vincent raised an eyebrow quizzically._

"What did he tell you Vincent?" Cloud's tone was serious, and he was leaning forward expectantly. It was not a question, but rather a demand for the truth. Vincent was silent for a moment, before relaying the information the now unconscious man had given him.

"_They killed Rufus, Vincent. They killed him…" And Reno fell unconscious in the rain, blood still flowing freely from his wound._


	2. Fateful Phonecall

Cloud almost fell out of his seat when he heard that. "What? Rufus is dead?" Vincent merely sighed, standing and walking about the small room. Tifa had taken Reno into the spare room and was looking after him there. The rain had eased outside but had brought a dark night. Vincent stared out into the darkness, his mind on what had happened.

"I can't be sure. He may have been delirious…but I can't shake the look that was in his eyes Cloud. Have you ever seen Reno fear anything?" Cloud shook his head, "I saw fear in his eyes today Cloud, when he said those words. I have no doubt that Reno certainly believes so, and he is not one to be easily taken in by rumour. I think we can only wait for Reno to wake up before we find out the truth. But I would not hope for the best."

Both men fell quiet for a minute, contemplating the fact that an extraordinarily powerful figure may now be dead. Not just that, but Rufus had changed, it had seemed. He was still a brilliant buisnessman, a little arrogant at times, but was no harm to the Planet. He had also provided most of the funding for the WRO, which was seen as his penance. But if he was dead...someone had to have played a part. And it scared both men to consider who would have got Rufus Shinra, well guarded as he was.

The silence was broken by a ringing noise from Clouds person. He fumbled in his pockets and brought out his phone. Looking at the screen, it wasn't a number he recognised. What a time for a delivery request…He flipped the phone open, intending to dismiss the caller, when the first words uttered stopped him dead.

"Mr.Strife…this is a warning." Vincent looked curiously at Cloud, whose hand was gripping the phone extremely tightly in suprise. His eyes had widened. "Do not interfere with our business. You will have heard what has happened by now, and you shall see what we mean. Be sure that if you do, we will seek you out. We are going to achieve our goals, Mr.Strife, and we will not be fearful of treading over you to reach them. That is all for now, unless you decide to meddle like a certain someone did..." The phone went dead, and Cloud dropped it to the floor like it was burning hot, not caring for its state. Shaking slightly, he glanced at Vincent, and the ex-Turk didn't need Cloud's words to tell him anything; the eyes said it all.

"I think Reno was telling the truth Vincent." Vincent cast his eyes to the phone on the floor. He knew what must have happened. It was worrying. If Rufus Shinra was dead, which looked increasingly likely to be the case, who had killed him? Something told Vincent that the mystery man with the mako eyes had not been the only one.

Tifa walked slowly into the room, and Vincent turned to her slowly, crimson eyes meeting burgundy. Tifa knew immediately that whatever was going on, it was bad. So bad that Cloud held his head in his hands, moaning softly. Eventually the blonde lifted himself to his feet, and gazed ruefully at the ceiling.

"Every time I think that there's going to be some peace…it turns out that someone wants to take over the world! Why is that?" He looked tired, not angry, as if he was merely drained of all energy on hearing the news. "I've just been given a warning not to interfere…they obviously don't know about reverse psychology. But…," he sat down again with a soft thump, "what am I going to be interfering in?"

Vincent swept across the room towards Tifa, who was gazing sympathetically at Cloud. She turned to him expectantly.

"You want to know what's going on?" He asked in a whisper. She nodded, "A man in a Turk suit and with mako eyes was the one that attacked Reno. And I think Cloud just got a call from his boss. Its looking increasingly like…some bad shit." Tifa was silent in surprise as the ex-Turk strode past her, cloak fluttering meekly because of the water it had absorbed, to go check on Reno.

* * *

Tseng wasn't often in a situation that he wasn't in control of. There had only been two in his life. When he was attacked by Sephiroth, and latterly when he was attacked by Kadaj. Otherwise, he was calm, cool and collected in every moment. Especially on missions. But now, he had a problem. He had a man with a great advantage shooting at him, and it was all he could do to stay behind cover. He leapt up from behind the rock he was hiding behind and fired off a shot, but had to throw himself down to avoid a bullet that came from his left. His eyes widened. This guy was moving position faster than he'd ever seen, or more to the point, he didn't see him. Another issue was that Tseng had a Turk issue pistol. His enemy had a large rifle. Tseng scrambled behind another rock in a moment of quiet, before the barrage on his cover started again. He felt for some reason that this may last for a long time.

* * *

_A door stood in front of him, plain and unadorned. What lay behind it held every mystery for him. He stretched his hand out towards the handle, wavering slightly in the nothingness around him. His fingers touched the cold metal. And suddenly there was pain. Agonising pain that shot through his chest. He screamed and fell, kept falling, the door disappearing into the blackness above him…_

"Reno, wake up!"

The redhead sat up, sweating. He ruffled his fingers through his hair, as he felt aches everywhere in his body. He turned his eyes upward, and almost fell out of the bed when he looked into crimson eyes.

"Geez Vincent! Personal space!" Reno lay back down again, groaning slightly at the pain when he moved. He noticed that all of his external wounds had been mended, but cure left aches that did not disappear immediately. From what he felt, he must have taken a beating…Slowly, the memory of his encounter with the rogue came back to him, and he sighed, paying attention to Vincent once more. He had backed off, and was now leaning against the wall, face expressionless. Reno looked around him and took in this new setting. He remembered here, when he had given some good advice to Cloud…"How did you lug me over here?"

"You should know that I'm still no ordinary human. It was no challenge." Reno snorted, causing Vincent to smile, a rare sight. "I was wondering Reno…do you know who that man was?" Reno grimaced, not wanting to focus on the rogue's eyes. Their glow reminded him of Sephiroth, that mako luminescence. He knew Cloud had the same, but he had never seen malice in Cloud's eyes.

"I think everyone that's here should hear the story. I mean, it is only major world shattering news. I think it should have an audience." The cloaked man nodded, and walked out of the room, leaving Reno alone. He fell back onto the bed. He knew instinctively that this was Cloud's house. He wasn't quite in the mood to deal with the brooding blonde. The man still didn't have the trust in him that most of the former members of AVALANCHE did, Barret excluded of course. But he hoped he could get Cloud to trust him about this. If he didn't, then there was little hope for him and everyone else. This was not a threat that could be ignored. Reno flipped up and out of the bed, yawning slightly. He ignored the aches and started towards the stairs, his walking becoming more casual as it went along. However, although he might have appeared cool on the outside, Reno was a bundle of nerves. The world faced a new threat. A new peril. A new Shinra…

* * *

Sorry for the delay…I got caught up in things. This is a rather short chapter, but necessary just to set things up. Thanks for your reviews!!! 


	3. Flashback

Reno slowly proceeded down the stairs, still not sure on his own two feet; the cure magic's side effects making him feel woozy. He had needed quite a lot of curing to get back to near full health. He still ached however, as the body still needed to do its job and heal him naturally. He felt eyes slowly turn to him as he walked into the front room, where Cloud and Vincent were deep in discussion. They glanced towards him, falling quiet as he reached them. He stood for a moment, the tension that had suddenly filled the room killing him. He fell back, and landed with a soft 'thwump' on the sofa. He didn't say anything for a moment, but instead steeled himself for the telling of his story. A story that took balls to even think about, true and horrific as it was.

"Well?" Cloud was starting to grow impatient. Out of the corner of his eye, Reno saw Tifa creep into the room and curl up on a chair. It seems he would have an audience. So be it.

"I'm sure you're all aware that Vince saved my ass from some freak wearing a turk-suit. But what you don't know is why he was wearing that suit and why he was attacking me. The answer to that…well, let's go back to the morning of two days ago…"

* * *

_When it started..._

"Reno, give me a hand," Reno sighed and slouched over to where Tseng was lifting boxes out of the back of a van. Work wasn't the same anymore. They still worked for Rufus, but no assassinations or kidnappings anymore. Not that he had particularly enjoyed them, but at least they had been more of a thrill than this. What were they now, removal men? He was slightly curious however about the contents of those boxes. He walked over, ignoring the glaring Tseng, who looked ever so slightly flustered, and noticed all the boxes were addressed to Rufus, and had 'fragile' on the side. Was Rufus expecting some fine China?

"Hey Tseng, what is this stuff?" Tseng shrugged, as he let down the box to converse easier.

"Hell if I know…Rufus just said that he was expecting some deliveries. Didn't say what, but he told me as if it was an everyday thing. Oh, and someone's visiting as well. Some guy who wants to apparently start up business with Rufus again. He seemed in a good mood…"

"Think we could ask him for a raise now?" Reno grinned, and lifted up one of the boxes.

Later, they stood either side of Rufus's chair, Rude and Elena by the door, ready for the meeting. The boxes still lay against the wall, as a result of Reno's laziness. The door opened, and an elderly man ambled in. He seemed to shuffle along, head bowed. He was followed however by two others. One was a bulky man with a raw, red face and short black hair, almost a buzzcut. He looked like an army general more than anything.

The third in the small party stepped into the room, and his appearance really startled Reno. This was because he appeared to be no more than eighteen years of age. He was slim and quite tall, but his face betrayed his youth. His eyes spoke deeper volumes, and they immediately stood out. They didn't look like they should belong to him. They were older than he was, and seemed to glow slightly. It was not a mako glow, but something else…something older…

Rufus stood, with some effort (he was not yet fully healed), and offered his hand across the small desk that was strewn with papers. The elderly man shook it, while the other two retreated, their faces stoic.

"It is good to meet you, Mr.Ighai," Rufus sat down heavily, even that endeavour exhausting to him. The old man merely smiled. Reno kept a close eye on the military man. If anything were to happen, he would expect it from him.

"It is of course, nice to finally see each other face to face. It will be…a pleasure, doing business with Shinra inc." Tseng took a slight step forward and Reno noticed that the old man's eyes had flicked for a brief second towards him. He had good reactions for an old man, he noted. Unnatural reactions.

"You see, Shinra is nothing without the money we had. The lack of funds has crippled any attempts to start even the most honest of businesses. I believe you have some plans as to what the new Shinra will do?" There was, for a time, a silence that hung on the air, and as time went on, it seemed to make Reno more and more uncomfortable. Eventually, the old man let out a wheezing laugh.

"Rufus, let me tell you…we are anything but honest." Rufus started to rise again, surprise on his face. However, he was even more shocked when the teenager drew a gun and shot him in the heart, all in the blink of an eye. That was when all hell broke loose.

Reno dropped as bullets hit the wall over his head. He saw that Tseng was already leaning over Rufus, shaking his head, the panic he was experiencing obvious. It had been a long time since they were in a situation like this. From his cover he could hear more gunshots, and Elena shouting above the noise. Reno withdrew his electro-prod, and sprung over the table. In the split second he had to observe the room, he saw the kid and Elena exchanging fire, and the bulk fighting with Rude. The old man, Mr. Ighai, was just standing there, watching. He didn't look to be a current threat, so Reno had to make his mind up fast.

He sprang over to where Rude and the bulky guy were fighting. He flicked the switch on his prod and drove it into the back of the bulky guy, who gave a grunt, and fell to one knee. Rude brang through a foot and smashed the guy across the room, where he hit the wall with a crunch. Disturbingly, he shook himself down, and stood up once more. The two men charged him, but Reno was only thrown back across the room by a big right hand. Rude tackled the man, and sent him to the ground once more. He was thrown off, and both men jumped to their feet with agility unbelievable for their size.

The burly man grinned evilly, and readied himself to pounce once more. He hadn't bargained on stray fire, as a bullet hit him straight in the chest. He stuttered, choking slightly, and was knocked down by a hard punch from Rude. The man crumpled, blood now leaking slowly from his chest. Rude looked at the body, no expression visible behind his sunglasses. Reno stood up, slightly winded, his eyes fixed on the burly man. He didn't look like he was getting up.

Meanwhile, Elena was trying her very best to avoid the rapid fire coming from the teenager, whilst returning gunfire. It was proving difficult. His aim was good and she had to keep constantly moving to avoid getting hit. She was shocked at the proficiency of such a young man. She had heard Reno had been this good when he was younger, but she hadn't seen such gun skill for herself.

Reno leapt across the room once more, and barrelled into the teen, who gasped and fell hard. His strength was not as great as his gun-skills, and he rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach. He scrambled up, and almost fell on his way over to Ighai, who merely stood, a smile still playing on his lips.

"Well done. You have killed Brutus, and nobody normally gets near Niall long enough to hit him. Alas, your leader is dead," he gestured to Tseng, who was now standing with a sombre look on his face, "and now, you shall all soon be too." At that word, the boxes in the room burst open.

"Oh shit." Reno almost dropped his electro-prod in shock.

Four people now stood around the room, enclosing the Turks. The strange thing was that they were all wearing Turk uniforms…

* * *

Wow. An update. Even I'm shocked...Thanks for all your reviews! The next chapter will be up much sooner, I promise.


	4. Four to chase the Four

Ighai stepped back, the wry smile disappearing. Niall's face was wrought with anger, but he could merely shuffle along the floor, away from the Turks. The Turks were now enclosed in a circle consisting of the four new arrivals. Reno's eyes flicked about the room quickly, as he tried to take in these new henchmen. Facing him directly was a mountain of a man, bigger than Rude. A black, trimmed moustache brimmed on his upper lip. He looked like an old school wrestler, with beady eyes and a permanent frown.

To his left stood a woman, quite small and skinny, but carrying a small machine gun in each hand made her appear slightly bigger. Shining green eyes were just visible underneath messy brown hair, and she was visibly taunting Elena, who for now only stared back. To Reno's right was an unbelievably tall man, built like a willow, thin and bendy. In fact, he appeared about the same thickness as a large broom handle. On his back rested what looked like a formidable rifle, and it was armed and primed, ready for him to whip it round and fire at the man closest in proximity: Tseng.

Reno dared not look behind him. He had seen out of the corner of his eye a figure leaping out behind him, but he had no idea who faced Rude. He didn't really want to find out either. His hand crept slowly into his jacket, feeling for something in his pocket.

Ighai circled the Turks, not bothering to communicate with his new 'Turks'. They needed no explanations. They were well trained and disciplined. Well, except one of them, but that was no matter. He had other talents to make up for his slouching. Slowly, Ighai raised his hand in the air, and as he did, each of his four servants leaned forward slightly, ready to pounce

Reno took the signal. He ripped his hand from his pocket, and threw something to the floor. There was a bang, and a hiss, and shouted orders as smoke suddenly filled the room, creating a fog so thick no normal man could see through it. There was a great crashing, and when the fog cleared, it was evident that it had escaped through a now broken door. The room was now also short eight previous occupants. Both the Turks and Ighai's 'Turks' had vanished. 

Sighing, Ighai turned to Niall, who was now standing, all emotion that was on his face gone, over the prone form of Rufus Shinra. Ighai raised a questioning eyebrow. 

"You used the right gun?" Niall rolled his eyes, as if the question mildly insulted him. 

"Of course. I'm no fool, like dear dead Brutus. _Et Tu Morte, Brute?_ I believe that would be relevant, if not entirely correct. We shall have to find some more muscle. After all, we're totally defenceless!" He gave a short, sharp, 'ha!' Ighai ignored the young intellectual, instead looking over the former Shinra chairman. His eyes looked dead, and there was a wound in his chest. The Turks must have believed him dead. That of course, was the brilliance of the illusion. Niall's mind was certainly useful, even if his monologues grew tiresome. 

"Pick him up Niall, and let's get back to headquarters before he wakes. Then we shall wait." Ighai moved away from the unconscious Rufus, and walked to the door. Looking out, he saw no trace of the eight that had been in the room with them moments before. It would certainly be an interesting hunt. He was sad that he was not involved, but he had to wait. He had to control the situation carefully. "Hurry up Niall."

"If you're going to judge, carry him yourself. He's heavier than he looks you know."

"I am just an old man, remember?" Both laughed briefly. They both knew that wasn't necessarily true. There was a lot behind Ighai's wrinkled face and thin frame. It was true he was old…but that didn't mean he was weak or senile. He still had the power required for what was to come. There would be battles ahead.

* * *

Reno had finished his tale, in the hours of the early morning, and now the four had spread around the house. None had tried going to their beds for some much needed sleep. None of them would have been able to turn off their brains. Tifa was busying herself in the kitchen, Cloud was pacing about upstairs, and Vincent had disappeared outside into the rain which still fell heavily, creating a sheet into which nothing could be seen. All thought about what they had just heard. Reno meanwhile lay on the couch and thought back. The fourth person, the one behind him in the cabin, must have been the one that attacked him. But if he was only followed by one…that meant the others were in trouble as well. He had to find them somehow, but they might have spread out across the whole world. He would need some help. 

They had all agreed to discuss what was to be done in an hour's time, when they'd had time to digest the information. Tifa was scrubbing a pan furiously, not seeming to notice that it had long been cleaned. As Reno walked slowly in, she was thinking deeply about what could come soon. She had thought the quiet life would finally be hers, but obviously it wasn't as easy as that. Reno felt sorry for her. Her and Cloud seemed to have no time to finally sort out their relationship and begin to raise a real family, as it was obvious Tifa wanted to. 'At least they have each other', Reno thought, as he backed out again, deciding to leave her be. Reno still had no-one but his colleagues, and now they were in peril. 

He suddenly had a thought, and kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner. He thrust his hand into his pocket, and to his relief he found an undamaged mobile, which he flipped open. Walking into a corner of the living room, he pressed one. He had all he needed to call on speed dial, because Reno was a busy man, of course. He put the phone to his ear, and waited as it dialled. He was overjoyed when he heard a quite emotionless "_Reno_?" from the other end of the line. 

"Rude! Where are you, Yo?" 

"_I'm in Junon, hiding out. Where are you? And more importantly, have you heard from the others?_" Reno shook his head instinctively, before realising he was on the phone.

"I'm dandy, thanks for asking," There was a short grunt from the other end, which may have been Rude's attempt at a chuckle, "I'm with Cloud, Tifa and Vincent at Cloud's house. Things haven't been good. My pursuer caught me and gave me a bit of a beating. I had to rely on Vincent, of all people. How about you?" There was silence for a minute as Rude formulated an answer.

"_It's_ _been…interesting. I've seen the big guy around here. He knows I'm here, but hasn't found me yet. I'm holed up with an old friend._"

"That's good. Have you tried contacting the others?"

"_No answer from either. But keep a look out_."

"I'll call again when we've sorted out a plan. Stay tight Rude."

"_You too._" There was a click, and a couple of beeps, and then the line went dead. Reno put the mobile away, and sighed quietly. He hoped the others were okay. They were his team after all. He'd always tried to hide it, but they all meant a lot to him, even the rookie Elena. He had to think of something, something to repair the situation. He didn't even know what the full scale of it was. It would take a lot of time to figure it out. But he knew he was destined to save them. It would be his redemption, his evolution. 

Meanwhile, Cloud was upstairs, sitting on the edge of his bed. He was thinking hard about the phone call he received. He tried to remember the voice. It had seemed old, and could have been this mysterious Ighai that Reno had told them about. Cloud, however, knew only one man who needed to be informed right now. He dialled a few numbers, and cleared his throat.

"_Yes?_"

"Reeve. There's some important news I think you should know." 

* * *

Somewhere, some distance from Edge, under a rock that jutted from a cliff, sat Vincent Valentine, deep in thought. All that was on his mind was the man he'd had to fight off to rescue Reno. He had seemed to win, but Vincent had a horrible suspicion that this guy was only playing games with him, toying with him. He had been winning against them, and Vincent was beginning to think he was extremely lucky to hit him where he did. Him and Reno were almost outclassed by the youth, whose sword skills had surprised him.

What worried Vincent most was the youth's glowing eyes. That was a sign of mako exposure, something none of the Turks had been victim to. In fact, he remembered that Reno hadn't said that any of the faux-Turks that he had seen had mako eyes. There was only one he hadn't seen, and it seemed that was the person who had injured them. Vincent wondered how long it would be before the man was cured and ready to return. And if he took it more seriously this time, it might take even more might to stop him.

Vincent was also concerned over the apparent decrease in his power. Was this guy so strong as to handle Vincent Valentine and Reno? Or had Vincent himself so fallen in strength and skill that he was only Reno's equivalent? It was a scary thought. But, he guessed, it was even scarier if this guy really was _that _strong. 

* * *

Sorry for the wait guys. This is one of the most important years, school-wise, of my life, so I haven't had much time. By the way, Reno's story ends with him throwing the gas grenade and disappearing, so he didn't see what followed between Ighai and Niall. Just in case you were confused, if you're half-asleep or something :P Hope you enjoy the chapter! And thanks for all your reviews! 


	5. A Name Revealed

Another update. Aren't you folks lucky. :)

* * *

Rude was sprawled out on the couch when the call from Reno woke him up. Rude wasn't trained to be a heavy sleeper. Turks had to be aware at all times. He had woken up instantly at the noise, and was glad he did so. Behind his neutral exterior, cogs were beginning to turn. He was relieved to hear that Reno had found safety. He should be safe with Cloud and the others for a while, especially with Vincent Valentine there as well, Rude thought idly. He was safe here too. It didn't appear as if that muscle guy, who he had seen a few times in Junon whilst hiding here, knew how to track a Turk. That proved he wasn't a real Turk, as only a Turk, can find a Turk. That gave him an idea…

"Who was that on the phone?" Rude turned at the voice, his face set in a blank stare, There came a chuckle at the source of the voice as a woman poked her face round the door, her light brown hair falling over her face. She walked in, revealing she was still in pyjamas. She was only young, after all. She hadn't quite grown out of old habits. Besides, she thought they were damn comfy.

Her name was Lillia Martinez, often shorted at her insistence to just Lily. Her hair was often messy and she wasn't the tidiest person in the world. Rude thought it gave her a more approacheable character. Her green eyes stared inquisitively at Rude, who realised she was expecting an answer.

"Reno. He's safe, which is good news." The way he said it made the girl chuckle again.

"You really are encourageable aren't you Rude?"

"I try." Lily sighed dramatically. She was glad to help her friend out in a crisis. After all the times he had done her a favour or helped her, she thought it was about time she did something for him in return.

They had met the year of the Meteor crisis, before it all started. He was on break in the Gold Saucer with Reno when he had seen her attempt to steal money from the Chocobo square. She was young at the time, only seventeen. She had been stopped on her way out by Rude, who had seen the whole thing. Rude, not on duty, had asked her why she had the need to steal the money. It turned out to be not because of need, but just in a slightly perverted sense of fun. She had obviously just craved excitement and attention, as she didn't have many freinds where she lived in Coral. She had sneaked in, unable to afford the entrance pass like most of the Coral townfolk. Rude would have convinced her to give the money back, but Reno had already taken it to bet in the races. He lost, which Rude thought was fair. Rude had given the girl a bit of his money though, and told her to stay away from crime. He was an expert on how it landed you in a bad place.

They had kept in contact, so Rude could check on her progress. There were no more cases of law-breaking, and he had heard she was living in an apartment in upper Junon. Rude was impressed. It was a nice place, to be sure. The area had been vastly improved in the years following Meteor, as Junon became Gaia's largest city after Midgar's destruction.

He had come to her because of the simple fact that no-one but Reno knew of them even knowing each other. Rude, when he had briefly visited before, had only stopped for a while, having other business to attend to in Junon. She was always nice to him, and seemed grateful that Rude had given her advice. She was now working as a journalist for a Junon newspaper, a decent job. A lot safer than his current job…

"I have to go." He stood up, wearily, and made his way to the door. There was a brief silence as Lily was stunned by the sudden news, before she spoke up.

"Leaving? Why? I thought you were safe here!" He turned back to her, and sighed.

"I'm safe. The others aren't. I have to help them." He once again made for the door.

"Can't I come with you?" There was another pause, Rude's hand resting softly on the door.

"Not this time. Goodbye Lily. I hope to see you again." With that he left, leaving a lonely Lily inside. She sighed softly. She was so lonely. She enjoyed the company…

* * *

Reeve slowly put the phone down, before his head followed it rapidly, and hit the desk in front of him. He slumped in his new-found depression. He was pissed off. It had been two years since the incident with Deepground, and Reeve had dared to hope for a peaceful life. He obviously hadn't the luck to deserve a break. What with this new development, he'd have to call the WRO into action once again. They'd all be disappointed to. People might suspect soldiers of getting bored easily. Not his volunteers, oh no. They were quite content with patrolling, stopping petty crimes and generally keeping the peace. Reeve hoped that this didn't run too deep. If it did, then they might have another large scale war on their hands.

But then, he thought as he sat back in his chair, maybe he was being paranoid. These guys might only be a small group, and Cloud might be able to deal with them. There were no signs that he needed to mobilise a task force just yet. He hadn't heard anything else about a new supposed 'company'. And until he did from another source, Cloud could probably deal with it. The man was normally reliable. Vincent would give him a helping hand as well. He saw no need for the WRO to be informed just yet. He wished Cloud had told him more, and then he'd know what to do. He'd only heard that Rufus was apparently dead and Cloud had received a threatening phone call.

No matter which side he took to the argument, it worried Reeve. Anything that had the potential to be another global fear was a cause for concern.

His office phone suddenly buzzed, followed by his secretary informing him there was someone outside.

"Who is it?" He didn't get a satisfactory reply, only the statement that it was someone with 'urgent news'. Reeve swore softly, and gave the affirmative. The door across the room opened, and a man stepped in, smartly dressed and with a broad smile on his face. Apart from, well, it wasn't really a man at all. He was barely an adult, and looked only seventeen. Whoever this was, Reeve thought, as the man strolled across the room, he seemed to have confidence.

"Mr.Tuesti, how good it is to finally meet you!" said the Teen, in a voice that was powerful if not booming. "I have some news I think you'll be very interested in."

"May I ask your name first?" Reeve said politely, leaning forward in his chair. The smile on the face of the teen became even broader, and there seemed to be a twinkling in his eye.

"Certainly. The name's Niall." He proffered a hand as he leant slightly over the desk.

"Right. Nice to meet you Niall. Have a seat." Niall gratefully fell onto the chair opposing Reeve's. "Now, what is this news you have for me?"

* * *

Vincent stood wearily, as the sun began to rise far off among the clouds. Overhead though, the rain was still heavy. He supposed he should get back, in case they began worrying. After all, Cloud, being the leader that he was, might have sorted something out by now. He walked out of the shelter he had been under, and began the short walk back to the edge outskirts. Just after he had started out, however, he stopped suddenly. He was sure something had passed overhead, on the small cliff overlooking where he was walking. There was a certain chill in the air; one like he had felt when he had rescued Reno…his mind began working quickly. He was not alone. His right hand went to Cerberus on his belt. He walked on further, the odd feeling in his stomach remaining, but facing no opposition. When he was nearly there, he relaxed slightly as the rain briefly stopped its onslaught on the ground.

But then he heard laughter above him. He looked up to the top of the cliff, where a figure stood. A figure he had seen before. The curved sword in his right hand sort of gave it away, too.

The figure leapt down, revealing his face to the light. It didn't surprise Vincent when he saw those glowing green eyes again. They unnerved him. It was because they reminded him of those dark days. The man had a smirk planted on his face: like Vincent, he wasn't concerned by the fact that he was soaked through by the rain.

"Well, Mr.Valentine, it seems this will be a fairer fight. And this one I don't intend to leave until the party's over."

The man leapt over at him, his sword flashing in the early morning light. Vincent ducked, his clawed arm rising to meet the sword. They connected with a satisfying clang, and the new-Turk was thrown up into the air. Vincent fired a few shots from Cerberus, but somehow he managed to dodge them by twisting in mid-air. The bullets passed harmlessly by as he made his descent towards Vincent, sword ready to pierce the cloaked man's chest. Vincent rolled as quick as he could, but the man was already on him, slicing downwards, causing Vincent to concentrate on dodging the furious blows that seemed to get quicker with every slash.

He made a fist and drove it upwards. It seemed to catch the man off guard as it struck him on the shoulder from below, and he now was thrown backwards. He landed on his feet, smiling loosely.

"You are seemingly as good as the stories tell you to be, Mr. Valentine. I don't normally get this much out of a fight." Vincent didn't reply at first, just took a few deep breaths, making himself as prepared as possible for the next wave of attacks. They didn't come immediately. "Oh, don't be so stubborn Valentine. Enjoy these moments. I think every moment of life should be lived fully, not in paranoia, depression…or mourning." That hit a weak point. Vincent clenched his teeth, not liking where the conversation was about to go. Although he wasn't as morose about the topic as he used to be, it was still a touchy area.

"Tell me. Who are you? What is this all about?" The man laughed.

"It's always about money Mr.Valentine. And what better way to acquire it than by showing off my skills? There is going to be a new era dawning, and when it does, I will help rule. People will fear me, Mr.Valentine. And that will be a most pleasurable position." The language the young man used was quite off-putting. He spoke like men did of old. Not even Vincent himself was so well-spoken. "If you must know my name before I finish you, know me as Virgil. Virgil, a name that shall soon be feared on Gaia!"

Virgil rushed forward, and another sword, similar to the other, appeared in his left hand, seemingly from nowhere. He rained down blow after blow, and Vincent could only block with his gun and claw for so long. Eventually he was caught by the flat of one of the swords in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He cursed the fact as he lay on the ground that he had no materia with him.

Virgil began to bare down on him with sword pointing at Vincent's neck, but before he could reach him, a fire spell blasted him in the side. It was just enough to faze the man, and he turned round, infuriated by this new development stopping him from acheving his goal. When he saw who had attacked him however, his eyes lit up with a strange delight. When Vincent saw that sudden change, he was worried. But then he too saw who had cast the spell, and breathed a small sigh of relief. Only a small one.

"What an honour this is!" Virgil cried in a mocking tone, and bowed slightly, "I've never been in the presence of royalty before..."

Standing a short way off, arms stretched out in front of her, Conformer attached to her back, was Yuffie Kisagari.

* * *

With that character of Lily, I have not decided yet whether to make her important or not. Thanks for all your reviews, alerts and story favorites. Hopefully the next chapter won't take long either. Niall in Reeve's office! Yuffie! Where the heck is Elena? All this shall be revealed further in the next chapter!


	6. Brothers

_3 years before the Meteor Crisis_

The neutral white of hospital walls are meant to induce of state of calm. However, the effect was lost on two young people currently seated in the waiting room of the Midgar Sector 1 hospital. They had arrived after a car crash on one of the main roads had severly and possibly mortally wounded their parents.

The two boys sat opposite each other, their faces etched with worry as they waited. The younger one was especially distressed, as he kept looking to his older brother for comfort. Yet he received nothing but avoidance. The people passing threw concerned looks, but did nothing, just walked by. The older one clenched a fist, his insides boiling. He didn't need their damn pity. It did nothing for him.

As the doors opened, they turned their heads in anticipation of news, but also with a sick feeling in their stomach. They didn't know what that news would be. They could only hope and agonize in equal measure about the fate of their parents, who lay unconscious, both of them undoubtedly at that minute under the knife. A car accident. Such a stupid, stupid thing, with no nobility. Just another throwaway event in the scheme of the world. And Virgil hated it.

Minutes turned into hours, and still they sat there, waiting for news, any goddamn news they wanted to tell them. Virgil was sick with the waiting. His younger brother had fallen asleep, lying across the hard seats in the waiting room. Spent tears shone on his face, illuminated by the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. Virgil was close to tearing his hair out. This couldn't be happening to his young brother. He didn't deserve it. The nine year old was a picture of innocence, unlike the fourteen year old Virgil. Virgil would be the first to admit this, but only to himself. He didn't confide in the ordinary people that filled much of his everyday life. They were sickening in their lack of intelligence and their love for the mundane. They walked on the conveyor belt of life, every single one. Even those who thought they were activists, different, just had delusions of grandeur they would never achieve. People like that would never change anything. They weren't worthy of having opinions.

He, however, was different. Special. It wasn't just his family who said he was special. There was no emotion when he was told this, no love and encouragement. Just the cold voices of the scientists as they ran test after test, each of which he passed with nonchalant ease. They raised eyebrows at first, scrawling down notes whilst talking to each other, vaguely impressed at his skills. As time passed, however, they began to realise just what they had found. The tests got harder, more draining, aimed to challenge the toughest of men. Virgil seemed to mock them as he excelled constantly, no matter what the task. Intelligence tests were finished and high marks achieved every time. Challenges of speed and stamina were matched by Virgil's flowing motion in whatever he did. Athletes flown in secretly were left beaten and demoralised.

However, it was the combat training that really got the men in white coats excited. As soon as they handed a weapon to Virgil, he showed proficiency normally displayed by a master. He shot down targets in seconds, his accuracy unequalled. Swordmasters had a blade at their throats before their unfailing strategies could be unleashed. Sometimes Virgil even toyed with them, letting them show off their skills, before knocking their swords out of their hands with ease.

There were whispers soon between the scientists. Comparisons were drawn, test results matched. They had only seen this sort of skill once before. The name brought shivers and awe simultaneously. Virgil, they said to their superiors with clipboards clutched to their chests, was the greatest prodigy they had ever seen, with the exception of one.

Sephiroth.

Virgil smirked when he thought of it. They hadn't even known he'd heard them. They didn't keep track of him as well as they thought they did. He knew of Sephiroth of course. Who hadn't? Virgil knew though, there was one massive difference between him and Sephiroth. He wouldn't allow himself to lose.

Oh yes, he knew the true story of Sephiroth, owing to some certain files he had borrowed without anyone noticing. Sephiroth hadn't just disappeared. He had apparently been thrown into a reactor by a mere Shinra grunt. How frightfully disappointing. Virgil would have liked to have met him…if only to prove himself greater.

But what situation was he in now? Two parents in emergency surgery, a weeping younger brother, and he, almost ready to be fast tracked into SOLDIER. It was an unusual family situation…

Eventually, the door swung open once more, and a man stood there. He was average height, with black hair slick with grease. Round glasses lay perched on his bony nose. His hands were constantly moving, always rubbing together. It was an unfortunate tick. Virgil always liked teasing him about it and the white lab coat he always seemed to wear. Hojo was the oddest of the scientists that Virgil had met…

Hojo walked across the waiting room floor, and he was greeted by expectant stares from Virgil and his younger brother, who had only just woken up. The man stood there, a grimace his most obvious current feature. Something in Virgil became very, very cold.

"I'm sorry boys, we did everything we could…it was out of our hands…" Virgil's fists clenched again, and he was about to cry out in anger, when he heard soft sobbing from behind him. He turned, and for once, Virgil's normally hard features softened slightly, as he went to comfort his brother. He gave him what he thought was a comforting hug, and the younger boys head sunk into Virgil's shoulder, as the tears kept coming.

Virgil turned his head round to look at Hojo, who was waiting, a bored expression on his face. Virgil's face became cold once more.

"Can we see them?"

"Not now. At the funeral, when we've cleaned them up, you can see them for the last time."

"You have a real way with words, professor."

There was a silence, broken only by the continued sobbing from Virgil's brother. Virgil relaxed slightly once more, shaking his head slightly.

"What do you want us to do?" Hojo's mouth lifted slightly at the edges, obviously an attempt at a comforting smile, but it was just a varied version of his usual sneer.

"You will come with us. We have much to teach you."

"And…"

"Your brother will be well looked after. Do not worry on that account. I'll be waiting outside with the others, when you're ready." He walked off towards the hospital entrance, leaving the two boys. Virgil's blood boiled again. If they even tried training his brother, he'd make them pay. He could take it, but no way was he letting Hojo anywhere near his brother.

"It's all right Niall. I'm going to take care of you…"

* * *

_Now_

Niall woke up, still groggy. He had only vague memories of that day when he heard the news, but he remembered those words.

"So much for your care, Big Brother. Now you work for me…until we deem you become too unstable…"

Suddenly, the phone by the side of his bed rang. He flipped it open and put it to his ear as he stood up to get changed, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes.

"Niall. What is it?" He answered curtly, as was his style.

"It's Ighai. I'm giving you twenty minutes to get ready. We're going to see Mr.Tuesti." Niall gave an affirmative, and then hung up. Phone calls needn't be dragged out. He quickly threw on jeans and a shirt, before walking back to his bed. He reached under it, and pulled out his rifle and handgun. He hid his handgun, and strapped his rifle to his back, before pulling a jacket over it. It was still raining, so he wouldn't look out of place. He wouldn't need to use his guns if everything went to plan, but he wanted to prepare for the worst. His brother had at least taught him that. Virgil really still thought he controlled relations between the two. Niall knew though, how to get at Virgil's hidden emotions. It was a skill that Ighai had been recognised, and why he was the man's second in command. He was going to suss Reeve Tuesti out in no time. The time had come to go public.

* * *

Another update. Virgil and Niall are brothers. Gaspeth. This chapter's shorter as it's mainly another flashback.

Next chapter will carry on the events of Chapter 5, so we'll see a Virgil/Yuffie showdown. Review and give praise/constructive criticism. But preferably praise, of course :P


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